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How To Remove Fake Blood and Face Paint Stains

Woman with face paint and red nails

Going all out with your costume at Halloween and becoming something magical, hilarious or truly terrifying is what it’s all about. But waking up on November the 1st to find your pillowcase stained with a green tinge is a real fright-fest, never mind the inevitable fake blood stains on your clothes … Oh the horror!

Don’t worry, follow these tips and avoid the nightmare.

 

Removing face paint stains from fabric

 

Water-based face paints usually wash out of fabric easily, however paints with a really strong colour that have a high pigment content might leave a stain. So for oil-based paints or when the stain doesn’t come out in a regular wash it’s recommended that you use a pre-treatment solution beforehand. This will help to break down the oils in the stain and make it easier for your normal detergent to do its job.

 

Removing fake blood stains

 

Fake blood is often made with oils and so stains can be really tricky to get out of fabric. Luckily you can effectively remove them using products that you can find around the house.

The best treatment is to gently rub talc into the fabric to absorb the oils from the stain and then liberally apply some white vinegar to the area and leave overnight. You can then throw the garment into the washer and set it onto a cold wash. At this stage you want to avoid applying heat as it can set the stain (so definitely no tumble-drying until you’re sure the stain is gone!).

Hopefully this has completely removed any stain, but if it’s really bad you can gently work some shaving foam into the fabric, rinsing in cold water and again adding to a cold wash.

With these tricks there’s no need to worry about being haunted by the remnants of your Halloween costume.

 

Happy Halloween!

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Perfect Pumpkin Carving at Halloween

An orange pumpkin with a stalk

It’s that time of year again where we’re gearing up for the autumn/winter party season. And it all kicks off with Halloween, which means it’s pumpkin carving time!

 

So here are my tips for cleaning out your pumpkin to give you the perfect canvas for your Halloween masterpiece.

 

The best time to clean out your pumpkin is as close to the time you’re going to carve as possible. A warm pumpkin is much easier to cut into so start by bringing your pumpkin to room temperature by leaving it out in a warm room for a few hours, or overnight if you can. Next using some warm soapy water, clean the outside of the pumpkin and dry off thoroughly using some kitchen paper. This will reduce the bacteria that can get into the flesh when you start cutting and should mean that your masterpiece lasts a little longer.

 

Using a serrated knife (a kitchen one will do the trick), carefully cut a decent sized lid out the top of your pumpkin. Once you’ve removed the lid you can get at all those lovely insides. Pull out as much as you can with your hands and put the fibres and seeds to one side in a bowl (check the recipe below for a tasty reason to keep these!). With an ice cream scoop or sturdy metal spoon, firmly scrape the remaining seeds and fibres away from the flesh. Scrape away lightly at the flesh and get the inside surface as clean and smooth as possible. Don’t forget to do the same for your lid and make sure there are no stray fibres hanging around there either. It’s all about giving your pumpkin the best chances at survival.

 

Now your pumpkin is ready for carving. If you’ve not decided on a design yet then The Pumpkin Lady has some great printable templates that are free to download. Usually a combination of kitchen utensils is all you need for carving but you can get some great carving kits from local supermarkets at this time of year. Which is a great idea if you’re getting the kids involved!

 

Once you’ve carved your design keep the pumpkin as cold as possible and spray with a solution of bleach diluted with water. This will kill the bacteria that gets into the flesh through the cuts you’ve made and should make your perfect pumpkin last a little longer.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

 

Remember those seeds you put to one side earlier? You can make a tasty snack, soup or salad topper with them. Nothing goes to waste in this house!

 

  1. Preheat your oven to 180
  2. Wash the pumpkin gunk off the seeds
  3. Dry the seeds thoroughly
  4. Toss in your choice of seasoning (my favourite is vanilla sugar which makes them perfect for adding to cereal in the morning)
  5. Spread out on a baking sheet
  6. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and mix them around a little, then bake for a further 6-8 minutes (keep a close eye on them if you’re doing a sweet version as they can catch easily)
  7. Remove from the oven to cool
  8. Store in tupperware or a jar, or start snacking – depending on your level of willpower right now

Good luck with your pumpkin carving and have a great Halloween!
Next time – how to get those stubborn fake blood and face-paint stains out.

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Domestic Cleaning in York

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You and your home deserve the best and there’s nothing better than stepping through the front door and being greeted by a clean and tidy space.

With our regular cleaning services, deep-cleans, after-party cleaning and one-off cleans you can put the happiness of your home in our hands.

 

Regular Home Cleaning

 

Want to spend your time doing your thing rather than tidying, cleaning, vacuuming, de-cluttering, dusting, polishing, mopping? Give us a call and we’ll come to your house for a consultation. We’ll put together a plan that suits you, your house and your schedule to deliver gold-standard cleaning every time.

Let us know what you need and how often you need it, then let us do the rest. It’s what we do best!

 

Deep Cleans

 

Does your house need a real sort out, de-clutter and a good clean to get things sparkling again? We’re the experts when it comes to making your home pristine, polished and perfect.

A deep clean could be just what your house needs before wowing guests at your next party (or cleaning up after they’ve gone!). Maybe you’re moving house and need things to be perfect for viewings or have just moved in somewhere and want a clean slate. A visit from our friendly team will save you time when you’ve got other things to be concentrating on.
Get in touch and we’ll visit you at home to talk through what you need.

 

Find out more about our domestic services …

 

Our Team

 

We are a friendly team of local cleaners with a passion for perfection. All our cleaners have regular training from boss Caroline – and believe us, she has exacting standards!

We’re not shy of picky when it comes to selecting our team of cleaners. You can be sure that our team are reliable, friendly and honest. With everyone who joins the team personally interviewed, fully referenced and DBS checked you can enjoy complete peace of mind when you invite us to work with your home.